You Should've Known
by QueenAmbrose
Summary: JoJo wiped her eyes, pushing her chair away from the desk. She took the paper in her hand, noticing the mascara drips, folding it three times before grabbing an envelope and placing the letter in it. Her days would no longer revolve around him, and she could move on. It was bound to happen…


***No one you recognize is mine. And the lyrics to Dear John obviously aren't mine either.***

**A/N: This is a random oneshot that just popped into my head. Characters may be a little, tiny bit OC, but then again, JoJo isn't on TV, and Seth has so many different personalities. You know what, I'm using creative license. Enjoy. **

**You Should've Known.**

Their flame had burned out, and JoJo sat there, feeling the burns left from her love affair with a man, 6 years older than she was. It'd been 5 months since she'd seen him. 5 long months that only left her with her own tears – she had cried until she couldn't anymore. She wondered if he had thought about her as often as she had thought about him. There was a constant struggle she battled with – did he still want to come back to her? It didn't matter anymore either way. He had waited too long. Seth was too late. She could only wait for an answer for so long. The struggle was over.

She sat at the cheery oak desk in her father's office, pen in hand, paper laid out in front of her. She was about to write the last letter she would ever send Seth. She looked around the room, sitting back in the expensive, hand crafted chair. Her parent's hard earned money had paid for all the things in that office, and her house. Her parents could buy her out of every situation she found herself in. But they couldn't save her now; all the money in the world couldn't have dulled the pain of falling out of love. She bit her lip, shaking the pen in her hand before sighing, and setting the words on the paper.

_**Dear John, I see it all now that you're gone.  
>Don't you think I was too young<br>To be messed with?  
>The girl in the dress<br>Cried the whole way home, I should've known.**_

_The sun sat on the water and the orange, red, purple, and blue's signified the end of a great day. JoJo sat in the sand, just staring at the sky. She wiggled her toes in the sand, feeling the contrast of the chill of the wind, and the warmth of the ground. Her white dress blew wildly with the cool breeze. It was calming, to just sit and watch the happy couples, the families, and the content strangers just go on about their business, it was nice to not exist for a change. At the delicate age of 19, her parents still expected the world from her, and she expected that much from herself at one point as well. _

"_Heads up!" She heard, her first reflex was to duck. "Sorry 'bout that," looking up, she was greeted by a man. He smiled at her, hunched over, hands on his knees, catching his breath. His skin glistened in the sun from the mix of sunscreen and sweat. She just stared at him – he was older she could tell from just glancing at him - watching him pick up the volley ball. His hair was two different colors, and he had an Asian tattoo going down his spine. She could tell he was probably a very unique character. He must of have noticed her staring because he looked at her, smirking. "What's your name?"_

_She squinted her eyes, putting he hand up to her forehead to shield her brown eyes from the sand. "My name?" she asked, surprised that he had even asked. "Oh, um, JoJo." She smiled, feeling awkward under his smoldering gaze. She swallowed the lump in her throat, "And you are?" she tried to sound confident, but she didn't have experience with men – or guys in general – and it showed. _

"_Seth," He smiled warmly. He looked over his shoulder, and she followed his line of sight. There were about 5 other people by the volleyball net, and JoJo found herself wondering why they were still playing just before sunset. He waived off the people yelling at him, and turned back around, "I've got to go. It was nice to meet you." She wanted to laugh, having a volleyball coming at her head wasn't exactly what she imagined as a nice meeting, but she bit her tongue. He started to walk backwards, nearly tripping on the uneven surface of the sand, "I guess I'll see you around."_

_**Well maybe it's me  
>And my blind optimism…<br>Or maybe it's you and your…need  
>To give love then take it away<strong>_

_**I'll look back in regret how I ignored when they said,  
>"Run as fast as you can."<br>**_

_The night was chilly and quiet, the kind of chilly where everyone stayed indoors and cuddled on their expensive couches: so quiet the only sound that could be heard was Seth's breathing and heartbeat. The steady thump soothed JoJo, and when she traced her finger along his skin, it sped up. "Only you do that Jo." He smiled down at her, his lips brushing against hers. They snuggled closer to each other, his strong arms wrapping tighter around her, causing the swing they were laying in to sway. She inhaled his cologne, smiling against his chest. For a while, they stayed quiet, something wasn't right. He was never quiet, and it concerned her. He looked back down at her, lifting a tentative hand to brush one of her curls out her face. Looking into her eyes, he whispered, "Do you love me?"_

_She smiled, "Yes," she whispered back. She scrunched her eyebrows, wondering why he looked so upset._

"_Will you do me a favor?" He asked, his voice low. She had to strain to hear him. _

"_Yeah, sure." She said, a little hesitant, he never asked anything of her, and it worried her that he suddenly had a request. _

"_Wait for me." _

"_Wait for you?" JoJo sat up, her curly hair falling in her face, "Where are you going?" As far as she knew – and as long as time continued to be measured the same – they lived an hour apart. She stared down at him, but he didn't answer, "Seth, where are you going?"_

_He got up off the swing, walking a few feet away, putting space between them. He turned on his heel, "I'm heading to the Middle East tomorrow." He looked down, not able to handle the look of realization on JoJo's face._

"_Like, to war?" He nodded. She sat there, destroyed. She respected what he would be doing for their country, but she wanted him there, with her. She looked up at him, tears already rolling down her cheeks, "How long will you be gone?" _

_He knelt down in front of her, wiping her tears away with his thumb, "Don't cry, please."_

"_How long are you going to be gone for?" she asked again, she needed to know. _

_He pursed his lips into a thin line, "Could be 8 months to a year." He answered quietly._

"_What?" she yelled, standing, sending the swing backward and forward again, hitting the back of her thighs. _

_He stood up, taking her hands in his, "I don't want to go – believe me, I don't –"_

_She pulled her hands from his, walking past him, "Then don't." she replied. It was irrational of her – she knew that – but the immature, selfish side of her was…irrational. If he wanted to stay, he would. However, she knew it was impossible for him to just drop his responsibilities for her. Then it hit her, he had known about this for a while. "How long have you known?" _

_Silence._

"_Seth," she walked back toward him, pushing both of his shoulders, "How long have you known?"_

_He squared his shoulders, "Since before I met you." _

_She pushed away from him, squirming out of his grip and smacking his hands away. She walked through the gate, heading to her car. She ignored him when he repeated called after her, getting into her car. He could have spared her the experience, but no, he gave her love knowing that he would soon leave her._

_As she sped down the road, tears fogging her vision. He had lied to her their entire time together. And maybe it was her naiveté, and her inability to be stern that led her down the path that led to her hurt. But damn it, Seth was supposed to me different. He had his hair dyed two different colors for Christ's sake. As she stopped at a red light, banging on her steering wheel. He should have left her alone on the beach…. She should have run when her mother had warned her about him. But it was too late by then. No matter how much she temporarily hated him, she would always love him. _

She was there when he left, going back to his house the next morning to see him off. Thinking that they would be able to make it through his yearlong tour. But then she watched him drive off, and then she came to terms with the situation, she was left alone and the feeling changed. The resentment toward him had built up. And soon she wanted nothing more to do with him.

She wanted to be free, experience life. She couldn't hold on to him anymore. He was never hers to hold.

_**Dear John, I see it all now that you're gone.  
>Don't you think I was too young<br>To be messed with?  
>The girl in the dress<br>Cried the whole way home**_

_**Dear John, I see it all now it was wrong  
>Don't you think nineteen's too young<br>To be played by your dark, twisted games?  
>When I loved you so, I should've known.<br>**_

JoJo wiped her eyes, pushing her chair away from the desk. She took the paper in her hand, noticing the mascara drips, folding it three times before grabbing an envelope and placing the letter in it. Quickly writing mailing information on the envelope, she walked out the office, still wiping her eyes because she couldn't cry anymore. She passed her mother in the hallway, hiding her face.

She stepped through the front door, taking the path to the mail box. She stopped, taking a deep breath before opening the mailbox and placing the envelope inside, closing it again.

He days would no longer revolve around him, and she could move on. It was bound to happen…

_**You should've known  
>Don't you think I was too young?<br>You should've known.**_


End file.
